Chapter 8 - The Plan Before the Crash
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Elena’s voice continued through the study.
“Celia keeps asking who controls Lily’s trust if something happens to me.”
Damian looked at his younger daughter.
She stopped struggling.
The recording went on.
“She says she’s only asking because she cares. I don’t believe her.”
A pause.
Then Elena took a breath.
“I found transfers from the youth boxing foundation into a consulting company registered to someone named Victor Lane.”
Richard looked sharply at Damian.
“Do you know that name?”
Damian shook his head.
The detective wrote it down.
Elena continued.
“I think Victor is connected to Celia. I copied everything. If she returns the money and leaves Lily alone, I won’t destroy her life. But if she comes near my daughter’s inheritance, I’m telling Dad.”
The recording ended.
No murder confession.
No dramatic revelation.
Just a woman trying to protect her child.
Damian sank into his chair.
He whispered, “Why didn’t she tell me?”
Richard answered gently.
“Because she was still trying to save her sister.”
Damian laughed once.
It sounded broken.
“Of course she was.”
Celia lifted her chin.
“You’re all acting like I’m some monster because Elena made paranoid recordings.”
Lily flinched again at Celia’s voice.
Damian saw it.
That was enough.
The detective turned toward Celia.
“We need to speak about Victor Lane.”
“I don’t know him.”
Richard was already searching public business records on his laptop.
He stopped.
“I do.”
Everyone looked at him.
“Victor Lane Consulting was formed seven years ago.”
“So?”
Richard rotated the screen.
The registered mailing address belonged to a condominium.
Owned by Celia Moretti.
Damian stared at her.
Celia’s lips parted.
Richard continued.
“Over four years, the family youth foundation transferred $612,000 to Victor Lane Consulting.”
Frank swore under his breath.
Damian didn’t move.
“Where’s the money?”
Celia smiled.
It was brittle now.
“You think you can scare me because you used to punch people for a living?”
Damian leaned back.
“No.”
His voice was quiet.
“I think paperwork can scare you more than I ever could.”
That was when the detective’s phone rang.
He listened.
His expression changed.
He looked at Damian.
“Mr. Moretti, one of Celia’s bodyguards wants to amend his statement.”
Celia spun around.
“What?”
“Bodyguard One.”
Her face drained.
The detective continued.
“He says he was paid to remove security cameras from this house.”
Damian glanced toward the broken statue.
“And?”
The detective looked directly at Celia.
“He also says he was instructed to destroy recordings involving Lily.”
Celia shouted toward the hallway.
“He’s lying!”
But the detective wasn’t finished.
“He says he kept copies.”
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👉 The man Celia paid to erase the evidence had apparently created his own insurance policy.
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